5 Books Every Businessperson Must Read

With World Book Day taking place today, Thursday 2nd March, Vision Business Consultancy has provided a list of 5 books every businessperson must read to help drive success.

You are what you read and if your goal is to be a leading businessperson or to own a successful business then the following books are worth a read:

Winners: And How They Succeed (2015) by Alastair Campbell

This book forensically examines how sports stars, entrepreneurs and individuals achieve their ambition. It examines a range of different skills and techniques from the very different worlds of politics, businesses and sport. Winners: And How They Succeed reveals different methods to successfully build a team, to overcome setbacks and to win which are all extremely important aspects of business; every business person will be able to relate to the examples and scenarios outlined by Alastair Campbell.

The Effective Executive (1967) by Peter F Drucker

Although originally written back in 1967, this book contains reams of useful advice on business practices that are essential for business success. Drucker identifies five key practices:

– Managing time

– Choosing what to contribute to the organisation

– Knowing where and how to mobilise strength for best effect

– Setting the right priorities

– Knitting all of them together with effective decision-making

He offers important advice for carrying out these practices and offers fresh insights into day-to-day business situations and how to reap rewards.

The Battle (2016) by Paul O’Connell

You may think that this is the stand out book on our 5 books every businessperson must read as it is seemingly more sport-orientated however; it provides great insight into the psychology behind success as well as the importance teamwork. It not only discusses the battles he faced on the pitch during big matches but also the many injury setbacks and highlights how sheer grit and determination can overcome any setback to achieve success; an important lesson for anyone looking to make it in business.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (2001) by Jim Collins

This book is known as the ‘defining management study of the nineties’ and it shows how great companies not only achieve success in the present, but achieve long-term goals. The book focuses on whether mediocre or bad companies that weren’t born with great DNA could go on to achieve sustained greatness and how they can go about it and so makes it on to our list of 5 books every businessperson must read.

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future (2014) by Peter Thiel

When the founder of PayPal and Palantir and a lead investor of Facebook writes a book with advice for startups, it is certainly worth a read. Thiel highlights how innovation isn’t limited to the IT sector or Silicon Valley, but instead progress can be achieved in any industry or area of business. The main piece of advice is that progress comes from the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself.

World Book Day is a partnership of publishers, booksellers and interested parties who work together to promote books and reading for the personal enrichment and enjoyment of all.

Vision Business Consultancy is led by Grainne Convery who is widely recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s leading business consultants and foremost authority on brand communications. Grainne has many years’ experience across a diverse range of business sectors and a multitude of areas of expertise; business fixer, commercial director, brand and marketing expert and business champion, financially intuitive with strong business nous.

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